23/150: And you thought only vertebrates breathe with lungs? Meet the Arctic Pond Snail

The Arctic Pond Snail (Stagnicola arctica) is a freshwater gastropod belonging to the family Lymnaeidae. This species occurs across northern Canada from Labrador to the Yukon Territory and are typically found in lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, ditches and muskeg pools. Lymnaeidae are of major medical importance as they act as vectors of parasites, such as trematodes and helminths that can affect both livestock and humans. Like other snails, these pond snails take up a portion of their oxygen through cutaneous respiration (skin breathing) but can also breathe using lungs; they have to come to the surface to breathe from time to time. These water pulmonate snails can be identified from their terrestrial pulmonate snail cousins by having two, instead of four, tentacles. There is currently only one specimen of this species that has been barcoded on BOLD. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

The Great Pond Snail (Lymnaea stagnalis) on the water surface of a pond in Southern Germany. Photo Credit: H. Krisp goo.gl/I66hL8The Wandering Snail (Radix balthica) in a pond in the Netherlands. Photo Credit: Bj.schoenmakers goo.gl/H4HP6y

22/150: Stalk-eyed flies, where hypercephaly is sexy!

Sphyracephala subbifasciata is one of two species found in Canada from the family Diopsidae (Diptera). Their common name, stalk-eyed flies, comes from the presence of their eyes at the end of an elongated stalk, giving them the look of a drastically long hammerhead. This feature is a lot more pronounced in their counter part from the Old World (especially Africa and Southeast Asia) than in the species found in North America. Interestingly, none are present in the Neotropical region or in Australia. In some species, female prefer males with the longest stalks, which has driven this trait through natural selection to be so extreme. The males will utilize their broad-head in ritualized male – male battles, called lekking, in order to gain possession of mating sites. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

A species of Diasemopsis from Mozambique with its impressive stalks! Photo Credit: Ton Rulkens goo.gl/82oUY5

You can see in this video how they expand their eyes stalk after hatching from their pupa: